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- The Editors

Kate's Mailbag

Dear Foodwine.com,

I recieved a recipe to add x amounts of ingredients using the word dag instead of cup or pint etc. The recipe is from Slovenia. Thanks for helping.

So get out your kitchen (or postal scale) and start weighing! and you might also try our Cooking Calculator—it converts US & metric measurements, temperatures, volumes, weights & lengths. Scaling a recipe? The Cooking Calculator will tell you how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon or how many liters in a gallon.

Hope this helps.

Kate Heyhoe

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Dear Foodwine.com,

I am trying to find information on ancient grains that are now becoming fashionable. I know that some of these grains include quinoa, kamut, spelt, amaranth, and triticale. I was wondering if you know where I might be able to find information about these unusual grains.

Hello I was wondering if you could help me with a search I have been trying to do on Cooking Classes in Tuscan Region. As a gift to my mother I would like to give her a few months of Cooking and Art courses in Florence. I am having trouble finding the right program as I am aware that most of the schools are dedicated to the young students which is fine. However she is a young 50 and I think it would be best to put her with a more mature school/group so that she wouldn't feel so out of place. It would really be nice to give her a special gift like this. If there is a school that you know of that is dedicated to this sort of thing please let me know so that I may give this special gift to her.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey Grossman
geoffreyg*mediaone.net

Dear Geoffrey,

What a wonderful son you are! What a lucky mother she is!

First, most classes are not for the young—most young people can't afford them! Your mom sounds like a perfect candidate for Esperienze Italiane, a culinary tour company founded by chef Lidia Bastianich, famous for Felidia's and other restaurants in NYC. You can find out more about it at www.lidiasitaly.com, or call 800/480-2426 and speak with Shelly Burgess. They have a Tuscan tour in May and September, 2000. You should also check out shawguides.com for their listings of culinary schools—professional and recreational—around the globe. Also, if you're not locked into Florence, consider Perugia; it has an Italian language university, art schools, is close to Assisi and conveniently located about midway between Florence and Rome.

Ciao!

Kate
Foodwine.com

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Dear Foodwine.com,

Do you have information about where I can obtain the Dessaux brand of food products through the internet? I cannot find it in Oklahoma City. I am particularly interested in the tarragon vinegar.

Robert Cunningham
bobcun64*mindspring.com

Dear Robert,

I can't guarantee they carry it, but you might try cookswares.com

Good luck,

Kate Heyhoe

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Dear Foodwine.com,

I am interested in making flavored oils for Christmas gifts. Can you give me any recipes or sources.

Thank you.

RICHDIANE@[email-address-removed]

Dear Reader,

Check out my Kate's Global Kitchen column, Holiday Gifts. I recommend a kit called Infusions, from Chronicle Books. It has a recipe book, labels, and gift notecards—just perfect! It's available at Amazon.com and at other booksellers.

Happy Holidays,

Kate Heyhoe

Reports Are Us

Dear Foodwine.com,

Thank you guys so much you made my life alot easier. Please give a big hug to whoever did the special report on manioc in the Brazil section!!!!!!! Thanks soooooo much. I had a school project that was due very soon and I just about finished it. Thank youuuuuu!

SPIT2552@[email-address-removed]

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Dear Foodwine.com,

Yes I like your site very much. But I have to find a recipe from France. It needs to be a dessert. It is for my birthday for French class and in order for me to bring in a treat it has to be French. So please try to find me a recipe. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,

Caitlin Gregory
acrzychk@[email-address-removed]
Berlin NJ

Dear Caitlin,

Finding recipes on our site is easy. Just click on the Search link that appears throughout our site. In your case, after landing on the Search page, just type in keywords like "France" or "French" or "dessert" and then click the search button. You can also type in phrases like "French dessert" to refine your search.

Good luck with your report!

Foodwine.com

Guess What

Dear Foodwine.com,

Great News! The pressure cooker will be a great addition to our kitchen. Gourmet Guess and the Global Gourmet web site are great. My wife and I both enjoy them alot.

Just wanted to thank you, our wonderful set of Cutco cutlery arrived a few days ago, they are great!!

Thank you.

Janice & Dennis Johnston
djohn*gci.net

Kudos

Dear Foodwine.com,

I began with a local newspaper article on great chocolate with a web link that turned out to be an archive article. I went to your home page & I have been on for a while. Your site is well organized, well designed, & very accessible. I've recently been disabled by illness & can't always read the screen so your site made it easy to copy parts of articles & recipes I can read later. I will definitely be back many times. Congratulations to all on a job well done.

ljluoni*massed.net

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Hi Kate,

I rarely surf the net, but have been this evening, and I just spent about 35 minutes on your site. I hadn't been there in quite a while, being so busy I only go online to check mail. But I have to say, your site is mind-boggling. The details! The love and passion! The quality and quantity of riches! You are the best! How do you do it???

Yours admiringly,

Mollie Katzen

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Dear Foodwine.com,

On the whole you have one of the more interesting and successful general food and cooking sites. I can't remember when I first bookmarked it.

As designer for Daniel Boulud's web site, I just want to compliment you on the nicely done Cookbook Profile and the interview with him and Dorie Greenspan. At the same time I'd like to mention his website which may be of interest to you if you haven't already seen it.

http://danielnyc.com

Robert Buxbaum
bux*worldtable.com
New York NY

Newsletter

Dear Foodwine.com,

I have been receiving the eGG-Roll newsletter for a long time now, probably a couple years or however long its been around.

The jokes in this newsletter are hilariously stupid and funny. (deathbed cookies, and skipping the diet)

Getting To the Roots of Horseradish

Dear Foodwine.com,

My boyfriend and I just harvested our horseradish root crop. They had been growing undisturbed for 2 seasons. Everything you wrote about how pungent they are is absolutely true. We washed and peeled our horseradish roots, just as you suggested, then ground them in the Cuisinart. After the first year, we have done this outside, from the back stoop. Thank God for long extension cords. We knew from bottles of prepared, store-bought horseradish sauce that vinegar and salt were needed. We just didn't know the proportions of each. Your article Preparing a Horseradish Root told us what we needed to know.

Thanks!

We have always put our ground horseradish in the freezer. It was good to read that that is what should be done.

Based on what we ground and canned today, we will have enough horseradish until we do this again... 2 years from now.

P.S. When you update your newsletter in the future, you may want to tell readers that they can ensure future crops of horseradish if they chop off the top-most growing node of the root (with 3 inches of leaf stumps still attached) and replant these. The "rootlet" will overwinter and come up the following Spring. A crop can then be harvested in Autumn of the same year. We've done it this way for years and have never been disappointed.

Thanks, again, for your useful website.

Sincerely,

mrtd*chorus.net

Cookbook Reviews

Dear Foodwine.com,

Hi, my name is Josefina Alvarez, I am the author of "ALL ABOUT CUBAN
COOKING" now on the second edition, I want information on how can I have my book review in your web page. This book have been publish by AACC Publisher, it have eleven chapters from appetizers to drinks of the Island, written in English and Spanish. Please send me information at your earliest convenience,

Thanks,

Josefina Alvarez
FIFINA36@[email-address-removed]

Dear Josefina,

Cookbooks for review consideration may be sent to the address below. Be
advised that reviews are not guaranteed and cookbooks will not be returned.